Has anybody seen this megablog?

[Mediocrates]

http://www.mediamonitors.net/


This has got to be one of the strangest (insidious) sites I've seen recently. Ostensibly a 'news' site/blogger for 'serious contributors' chock full of Palestinian poetry, anti US rhetoric, claims that Israelis are committing terrorist acts against themselves....

And alongside is a some fairly high quality straight news reporting including a great deal of 'neutral' information about Israel such as drug patents, high tech news and the like.

Here is the disclaimer:

All the contributions and material on Media Monitors Network (MMN) are published with the intention to become a platform for serious media contributors and observers, where truth really prevails.
MMN is NOT just 'another' news web-site or magazine but a non-profit, non-biased and non-political platform which helps to convey truth and generally facilitate answers to any disputed, controversial topic being broadcast, web cast, published, distributed or telecast in the world media. MMN is seeking for the truth in some of the world's most critical "hot topics", which can often be twisted by the world media.

MMN is not sponsored by anyone influential and intentionally refuses such support in order to remain independent, so that we will not be 'forced' into one opinion or another.

Here is a sample headline:

A Review of the Patterns of Global Terrorism Report
:: Could Zionist propaganda lead to worldwide U.S. War against Islamic Movements? ::

Here are the straight news reports of Israel:

http://interestalert.com/remote/siteia/morenews.shtml?Sys=mckhan&Fid=ISRAEL01&St=Style7&Type=News&Title=Israel

alongside some fairly neutral Palestinian stuff:

http://interestalert.com/remote/siteia/morenews.shtml?Sys=mckhan&Fid=PALESTIN&St=Style7&Type=News&Title=Palestine

But if you look on the leftside of the mainpage you'll start a java window that displays bloody horrid photographs, ostensibly of dead Palestinians.

And if you go to the bottom of the mainpage you'll see a listing of 'recent content' - a broad list of articles like the one claiming Likud promoted Palestinian terrorism and benefits from it.


From what I can gather here is a site of the most dangerous kind. Everything is without comment or context. A random jumble of straight news and screaming rants. A blurry mixture of leftist politics, social issues, gender issues, legal issues held together by a thread of antizionism, antiamericanism and distortion.

It's available on Avantgo too -

[elke]

From this site:

More Featured Charities

The Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development

Global Relief Foundation

Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development

Islamic American Relief Agency—USA

Haven't the Global Relief and the Holy Land Foundation's assets been frozen because they support terrorism?

[Vic]

The site has been around for several years now, it enjoys good ranking in search engines and gets quoted a lot. I don't see anything strange about it: after all, why shouldn't "antizionists" possess a certain amount of general education and try to make money from their undertakings?
Take a look at similar sites: http://www.israelforum.com/board/showthread.php3?postid=8539#post8539

[Mediocrates]

Originally posted by Vic
The site has been around for several years now, it enjoys good ranking in search engines and gets quoted a lot. I don't see anything strange about it: after all, why shouldn't "antizionists" possess a certain amount of general education and try to make money from their undertakings?
Take a look at similar sites: http://www.israelforum.com/board/showthread.php3?postid=8539#post8539

Well if we can throw Joe Camel out because people are unable to make an informed discrimination between fact and marketing and entertainment then we should be able to limit the spread of hate filled distortions masquerading as legitimate news. It may seem fair on the surface to have a room full of takeos debating the truth of the protocols of the elders of zion but it is not not as long as it purports to be a genuine news source. I don't like Fox, I don't like FreeRepublic and I don't like this site and all of its clones that put a clean shaven David Dukes face on the body of virulent hatred. I prefer my hatred straight up and in my face.

[Vic]

Originally posted by Mediocrates
I prefer my hatred straight up and in my face.
Which is exactly the reason why you don't always get it this way: not everyone is prepared to make this sort of gift, be it to Jews, Israelis, or any other adversaries.

Yet again, the pro-Israel PR work: isn't it a bit too straightforward lacking subtlety, given the magnificient performance of the other side?

[cerulean]

Canada and some European countries have laws that limit hate-speech sites. In Canada these have mostly been used against Holocaust revisionists. However, I can't see Americans going for this idea. The concept is always that everyone has a right to speak (at least for non-commercial speech, thus allowing some restrictions on Joe Camel).

[elke]

This may sound crazy, but what about libel/slander lawsuit type of thing? Sharon, for instance, has been vilified by the media well beyond what he was responsible for. I am no expert on law, but damage certainly has been done to his reputation.

[Vic]

Originally posted by elke
This may sound crazy, but what about libel/slander lawsuit type of thing? Sharon, for instance, has been vilified by the media well beyond what he was responsible for. I am no expert on law, but damage certainly has been done to his reputation.
I suppose this would cost a lot of money: hiring top-notch lawyers in the respective countries etc. Why, Israel didn't even manage to get for investigation purposes the original tape of the shooting of Mohammed al-Dura, the boy who dies at the Netzarim junction, from a French TV station.

[Mediocrates]

Originally posted by cerulean
Canada and some European countries have laws that limit hate-speech sites. In Canada these have mostly been used against Holocaust revisionists. However, I can't see Americans going for this idea. The concept is always that everyone has a right to speak (at least for non-commercial speech, thus allowing some restrictions on Joe Camel).

Fair enough, information warfare is the watchword then. Part of any private or publically funded PR effort must include technical ops that disrupt websites like this one and the sites like it. Denial of service attacks, name service attacks, organized efforts to knock them offline and/or make it very expensive to operate. There are many countries from which to operate where this is not illegal.

BTW my latest World Jewish Congress flier mentioned that Canada refused to legally bloc a group that is running organized fund raising for Hezbollah inside Canada.

[elke]

Originally posted by Mediocrates
BTW my latest World Jewish Congress flier mentioned that Canada refused to legally bloc a group that is running organized fund raising for Hezbollah inside Canada.

On what basis? Are terrorist groups legal in Canada?

[Mediocrates]

Originally posted by elke


On what basis? Are terrorist groups legal in Canada?

The flier is in my office I'll get it tomorrow and check. Their website www.wjc.org.il is pretty weak.

[L@mplighterM]

Originally posted by Mediocrates


Well if we can throw Joe Camel out because people are unable to make an informed discrimination between fact and marketing and entertainment then we should be able to limit the spread of hate filled distortions masquerading as legitimate news. It may seem fair on the surface to have a room full of takeos debating the truth of the protocols of the elders of zion but it is not not as long as it purports to be a genuine news source. I don't like Fox, I don't like FreeRepublic and I don't like this site and all of its clones that put a clean shaven David Dukes face on the body of virulent hatred. I prefer my hatred straight up and in my face.

Every post on Free Republic (post 9/11)involving Arabs and/or Islamic Fundamentalism is 99.9% against Muslims.


War can make strange bedfellows. I say find alliances wherever it’s possible.

Make no mistake about it our civilization is in grave danger of coming to an end because of those crazy bastards.

[elke]

Originally posted by Mediocrates
Their website www.wjc.org.il is pretty weak.

What else is new?

[Mediocrates]

Originally posted by L@mplighterM


Every post on Free Republic (post 9/11)involving Arabs and/or Islamic Fundamentalism is 99.9% against Muslims.


War can make strange bedfellows. I say find alliances wherever it’s possible.

Make no mistake about it our civilization is in grave danger of coming to an end because of those crazy bastards.

No doubt - it's just so galling. It's like a thought I had several months ago - around December after watching the news channels for a few days. I thought 'why in the hell does my 10 year old child know what the phrase "thermobaric weapon" means?'.

[Vic]

This is one of my "favorites":
And I remember the fiendish look on Ariel Sharon’s face as he and his thugs desecrated the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem on that September day when this "intifada" began. Their threats now extend even to the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem. The look is incomprehensible, such as would never be seen on the face of a civilized human being. A look more terrible than terror, more horrendous than horror, more brutal than brutality, more cruel than cruelty, more Satanic than Satan, and more hellish than hell.
Source: http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20020417094159486

From the same page:
Please consider supporting the Palestine Chronicle with a one-time donation, or through ongoing support. You can Donate Online using an easy and secure payment method, or kindly mail your donation to (The Palestine Chronicle; PO Box 196, Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043-0196, USA)The editorial board is quite noteworthy too: http://palestinechronicle.com/aboutus.php

[Mediocrates]

Originally posted by Mediocrates


The flier is in my office I'll get it tomorrow and check. Their website www.wjc.org.il is pretty weak.


I have it here. Here is the complete text:

"Oh! Canada
Canada will not ban fundraising by the social and political wing of Hizbolllah, despite pleas by Israeli officials who say that the entire structure of the Lebanese-based organization is dedicated to terrorism.

Hizbollah has been declared a terrorist organization by the U.S. Government".


In other Canadian related news here is another piece:

"Abandonment

A leading Canadian Christian social justice coalition is urging the federal government to abandon its traditional even-handedness
in the Middle East and show support for the Palestinians.

In a letter to Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham, the Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiative portrayed Palestinian suicide bombers as reprisals for Israeli aggression."

[Vic]

http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20020607195410915
It is with much disappointment that the Palestine Chronicle must discontinue our publication, due to lack of financial resources.

[elke]

I don't buy this "political arm" vs. "military arm" stuff. Whoever does that is giving up the best leverage they have against terrorism! By definition, terrorism is performed by "sub-governmental" and "political" groups; so the best leverage legitimate governments have is to outlaw the group in its entirety. You want to be legitimate? Fine, give up terrorism and become a normal political party.

[Iori Yagami]

Originally posted by Vic
http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20020607195410915
Oh, that sucks... The EU based funding probably ended. :)

[elke]

Originally posted by Iori Yagami

Oh, that sucks... The EU based funding probably ended. :)

...and the next thing you know, they will call it a Russian Jewish conspiracy... :D

[Iori Yagami]

Originally posted by elke


...and the next thing you know, they will call it a Russian Jewish conspiracy... :D
Wait wait wait, it ISN`T? Oh god, my wolrd is crumbling apart :)

[Vic]

Originally posted by elke
...and the next thing you know, they will call it a Russian Jewish conspiracy... :D
Is this about Russia and the NATO? ;)

Well, no need to cry for "palestinchronicle", there is still a clone of it online: http://www.ramallahonline.com , US-based too. The design is so horrible that it can only be run by undercover Israeli agents...

[Iori Yagami]

"Re: Petition to removing Alan Keyes of the air, or have him practice and indulge in f (Score: 1)
by christian72 (american427@pagan.com) on Saturday, June 08 @ 11:41:31 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) http://
Alan Keyes is my favorite person on MSNBC,which I watch all the time.He is correct on his views and I support him 100%.We in America have "free speech",that is what "freedom" is all about.I do not agree with your views on this site at all.I just like to see what type of PROPAGANDA you people try and throw at the unaware puplic.The Israeli's are "God's chosen people" and woe to anyone who strikes against them!!!!! I am a spirit filled christian and have always supported Israel and always will.Why don't you try to petition Arafat out of office,and really put a stop to this stupidity in your country.That is where the whole problem is,not in American Journalism.....get a life people,and clean up your own backyard!!!! "
Lol, that`s a comment posted on the site... Lovely, ain`t it?

[Vic]

Originally posted by Iori Yagami
[...]
Lol, that`s a comment posted on the site... Lovely, ain`t it?
Sounds exactly like a Zionist conspiracy to compromise you-know-whom...

The "jokes" section of the forum is really the one you learn what it is all about, ugh. Is this the American freedom of hate speech?

[elke]

Originally posted by cerulean
Canada and some European countries have laws that limit hate-speech sites. In Canada these have mostly been used against Holocaust revisionists. However, I can't see Americans going for this idea. The concept is always that everyone has a right to speak (at least for non-commercial speech, thus allowing some restrictions on Joe Camel).

I guess, Canada considers hate-speech a crime, but not blowing people up (if they can accept Hizbollah's "political arm")

Everyone is allowed to speak, but libel and slander are still actionable under the law. It actually may be worthwhile to bring a lawsuit against an organization such as Hamas or even PLO, and make the proceedings loud and stinky.

[L@mplighterM]

Originally posted by elke


Everyone is allowed to speak, but libel and slander are still actionable under the law. It actually may be worthwhile to bring a lawsuit against an organization such as Hamas or even PLO, and make the proceedings loud and stinky.


I’m not certain that an individual could initiate a lawsuit against an organization if the same made a blanket statement without mentioning specific names.

[elke]

Originally posted by L@mplighterM
I’m not certain that an individual could initiate a lawsuit against an organization if the same made a blanket statement without mentioning specific names.

That's a good question, actually. I am not a lawyer, but maybe it would be possible to do it through a lawsuit filed by a terror victim. Instead of just suing the responsible terrorist group, sue the lot of them, for incitement of the terror act. It would be horrible to drag someone who has suffered so much already through a media circus, but if there is somebody who is willing to do that, word may get out that they can't get away with slander.

[elke]

Actually, that "attack by bus" last year: the person was cleared by Israel to go back to work on the Egged bus, went berserk, and mowed down - I believe - 6 people. The news services quoted him saying something like: "I just couldn't help it - I saw the soldiers standing there, remembered our martyrs, and got so mad!" - or some such. Incitement by the PA was obviously part of this attack, by the perpetrator's own admission.

[Vic]

"Good" news: the closing-down announcement of the "palestinechronicle" was a kind of fund-raising pun: http://palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20020610154129167
The Palestine Chronicle needs very little to cover expenses for our staff in Palestine and the U.S., but these expenses must be covered. If we can raise a minimum of $50,000.00 this year, we will be able to continue publication and expand our services. One could certainly do better on such a budget...

[NewsGuy]

Originally posted by Vic
One could certainly do better on such a budget...

I think it means that the owner of the site could afford not to work elsewhere if only he could make $50,000 from operating the "Palestine Chronicle."